Heart-stopping pause in fireworks spectacular

A computer glitch during Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks spectacular left thousands of harbour revellers wondering why a central barge had stopped firing pyrotechnics for a heart-stopping half-minute.

The breakdown occurred about halfway through the 12-minute midnight show, and left the barge - just to the east of the Harbour Bridge and one of seven set up for the display - in the dark for many long seconds.

With about 1.5 million people crammed into vantage points along the harbour, the sudden halt was noticed by many onlookers, who wondered whether something had gone wrong.

''With all the planning that goes into these events, you don't expect something like that to happen,'' said Alex Isiais, from Lindfield, who was watching with a group of friends at Cremorne Point.

''My first thought was that it was intended but then it went on for too long.''